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The Asheville area has many tailgate markets, usually in parking lots where local growers set up temporary sales stalls on certain days, and farmers' markets, which are typically larger than tailgate markets and often have permanent booths. The website of Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) has up-to-date information on all the region’s tailgate markets, U-pick farms, and farmers’ markets.
Shopping is excellent and local all over downtown Asheville, with around 200 boutiques, including more than 30 art and crafts galleries. Several streets, notably Biltmore Avenue, Broadway Street, Lexington Avenue, Haywood Street, and Wall Street, are lined with small, independently owned stores. In fact, there are only two chain retailers in all of downtown.
The line often extends into Pack Square at this premium chocolatier for truffles, ice cream, cookies, brownies, various kinds of hot and cold chocolate drinks, and specialty coffees and teas. Adjoining is the grab-and-go Chocolate Boutique. The owners also have a small chocolate factory and tasting room at 821 Riverside Dr., with guided tours daily, starting at $12.
Just before its opening in 1929, the Grove Arcade, which covers an entire city block, was trumpeted as "the most elegant building in America" by its builder, W. E. Grove, the man also responsible for the Grove Park Inn. He envisioned a new kind of retail, office, and residential complex. Grove died before completing the project, and a planned 14-story tower was never built. Still, the building is an architectural wonder, with gargoyles galore. Now it's a public market with about 40 locally owned shops and restaurants, along with apartments, office space, and an outdoor market. A self-guided architectural tour (download a map from the website) takes about 45 minutes.
This is what an independent bookstore should be, with an intelligent selection of new books, many author appearances and other events, and a comfortable café. Staffers speak many foreign languages, including Hungarian, Russian, Italian, Spanish, French, and German.
Odyssey has the largest number of working clay artists in the region. It has two ceramics galleries, plus pottery studios and clay classes. Browse the ceramic works, both functional and decorative, as well as figurative and abstract sculptures by juried clay artists.
In a 1938 building that once housed a five-and-dime, Woolworth Walk features the curated work of more than 170 crafts artists, in 20,000 square feet of exhibit space on two levels. There's even a working soda fountain, built to resemble the original Woolworth luncheonette.
Sponsored by the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), nearly everything at this downtown market is local. Offerings usually include produce, free-range eggs, homemade breads, cheeses, and crafts from some 60 local farms, bakeries, and craftspeople. Every Saturday morning it covers an entire city block on North Market Street. ASAP publishes a print and online guide to local food sources and tailgate markets.
Chocolate truffles and sea-salt caramels are favorites here, but you can also buy made-on-site items such as chocolate in the shapes of cowboy boots and high heels. Most items are sold for takeout, but there's limited in-store seating if you just can't wait to scarf down these delicious sweets with a cup of rich hot chocolate.
In this 1928 landmark building decorated with polychrome terra-cotta tiles, about 100 artisans show and sell their crafts.
More than 60 artists, craftspeople, and entrepreneurs in ceramics, painting, textiles, woodworking, and jewelry work in this complex of studios and galleries in the River Arts District. Several of the artists offer classes, and there's lots of free parking.
